The top five most famous living scientists

To mark Stephen Hawking’s stepping down as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, contractually required at age 67, I thought it might be worthwhile to compile a list of the world’s most well-known living scientists.

One might ask whether it’s proper for scientists to assume high profiles because so much of modern science is a team effort. However, given the example of Carl Sagan, I believe it’s important for some scientists to have prominent role in public life, and to be effective spokespersons for rational thought.

So on Thursday I reached out to my followers on Twitter, and they and their friends responded in droves. (See a complete list below). They helped me round out the list. I found that once I got past the first two names on my list it was really difficult to pick the last three.

My criteria were simple: to receive consideration a person had to be scientist who conducted scientific research. Doctors who were purely physicians did not count. They were measured largely upon name recognition. Please remember, this is just one man’s list.

When they’re making LEGOs out of you, you’re famous.

1. Stephen Hawking, physicist: Any credible list has to begin with Hawking, who has earned this position not only because of his brilliant mind for theoretical astrophysics as well as the personal battle he has valiantly and successfully waged against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Appearing on Star Trek doesn’t hurt, either.

2. James Watson, biologist: Watson was the co-discoverer of DNA’s structure, and therefore in many respects he is one of the founders of modern biology. He has remained in a high profile position both as the first director of the Human Genome Project as well as his involvement in a race controversy two years ago.

3. Jane Goodall, biologist, conservationist: Goodall has spent nearly half a century studying chimpanzee behavior in Tanzania and is well known to many around the world for her advocacy of the animals. She has appeared in films and there have been numerous TV series about her work, including on HBO, PBS and Animal Planet.

4. Richard Dawkins, zoologist: Many love him. Many loathe him. Many know him. Dawkins has gained widespread fame for his outspoken views on evolution and writing books with titles like The God Delusion. If the criteria is, “Have you heard of him before,” and my purposes it is, Dawkins has to rank high on any list.

5. James Hansen, climate scientist: Like others on this list Hansen has gained notoriety partly through controversy, and he is clearly a lightning rod in the climate science debate. To many scientists and environmentalists he is a hero, forcefully speaking out about what they believe needs to be done. To others, he is loathed. But again, he is known.

There are a couple of trends in the list above. Most notably, just one of the scientists (Watson) has won a Nobel Prize. To reach the highest levels of notoriety in today’s world, it seems, a scientist must generate controversy as well as accomplishment.

This, in my mind, isn’t a good thing. Where are the Sagans? There are people who aspire to be Sagan, and a number of them can be found in the honorable mention category below. Alas, there are no true Sagans today.

Sadly, as discussed last year, it seems probable that most Americans probably cannot name a single living scientist unless we really stretch the definition to include people like Al Gore and Bill Gates, especially after Hawking.

I would like to thank the following Twitter users for their suggestions and retweets (without which I would have completely missed Goodall).

He’s using his talents in exactly the “right” profession. Have you ever wondered why he’s so effective at drawing an audience from all over the United States and other countries as well? Or how he can manage to maintain such a diverse community of loyal readers…who under normal circumstances would probably never converge in one place on a regular basis like this?

It takes a special type of person to be able to connect with people of all kinds of backrounds, social interests, and beliefs and yet somehow ‘make it work’ like this. If you ran this blog IANVS, you would have run me off right from the start!!! and look at all the knowledge I’ve acquired by sticking around that I might have missed out on if that had happened.

Don’t be so enamored with money and prestige IANVS…there are far bigger issues at stake in the world, and bridging the communication gap between people of various belief systems and cultures, just happens to be one of the most important career choices or ‘public service’ a person can engage in. Even traditional journalists in the past never had this kind of rapport with their readers. Eric (as well as other peers in his profession) are embarking on almost a ‘new field’ of journalism because it’s so interactive.

Just remember IANVS – knowledge and truth has the power to change people like nothing else in this world…that’s why Oliver Wendell Holmes said “Man’s mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.”

So as soon as knowledge comes with a hefty price tag which makes it unattainable or a financial burden to any member of society (even the poorest), it becomes discriminatory, and just another piece of ‘merchandise’ to sell (which is wrong on so many levels). If people never have the opportunity to take in knowledge and learn, they’ll never change or ‘evolve’ towards their highest potential…And don’t you forget it! =)